They already carry on a very confiderable trade with the Indians, and export great quantities of deer-fkins and furs. The French inhabitants here raife confiderable quantities of rice, and build fome veffels.

< There are at prefent, as I am told, about 6coo inhabitants in this province, which increase very faft, it being much more healthy and inviting than Eaft Florida; especially the western parts upon the banks of the Miffiffipi, where it is faid to be agreeable enough to English conftitutions. In fhort, it is not to be doubted but that in a few years this will be a rich and flourishing province, nature having denied it nothing that is neceffary to make it fo.'

How far our Author's account of these two fettlements may, in every circumftance, be depended upon, is a point not perfectly clear to us, as we are not precifely informed whether he hath related all of them from his own perfonal acquaintance with those provinces; or whether he hath not chiefly made his report from the information of others. He appears, however, to be so honest a Writer, that we do not suspect him to be capable of any intention to mislead his Readers, in any respect whatever.

In our Author's defcription of the manners and customs of the Indians, particularly thofe called the FIVE NATIONS, are many curious particulars; fome of which may ferve as a proper fupplement to the account extracted, in the preceding article, from Lieutenant Timberlake's Memoirs: and the obfervations of both thefe Writers may, perhaps, be confidered by the judicious Readers as a valuable addition to the more elaborate performance of Cadwallader Colden Efq; published not long before the commencement of our Review.

Thefe five Nations, are, beyond all the other Indian tribes, the moft diftinguifhed for their underftanding, their valour, and above all, for their glorious spirit of liberty in which refpect even Britons may be proud to call them their brethren. Of thefe, again, the Mohawks are the firft in rank, (in regard to the aforementioned virtues) though at prefent the smallest in number: to which circumftance they have been reduced, from being the most numerous, by their continual wars, The union of the five nations, fomewhat refembles that of the Dutch United Provinces; and this republican league, or confederacy, which no one nation hath any fuperiority over the other, th fubfifted fo long, that the Europeans, fays Mr. Colden,

The hiftory of the Five Indian Nations of Canada; viz. The Mohawks, Oneydoes, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senekas; to whom are also added, as a fixth nation, the Tufcareras. The Necariages of MifiImakinac, have alfo been received as a feventh nation.

know nothing of its origin. Their most northern fettlement, fays Mr. Rogers, is a town called Chockonawago, on the fouth of the river St. Lawrence, oppofite to Montreal; but their largest settlements are between Lake Ontario and the provinces of New York and Penfylvania, or the heads of the Mohock, Tanefee, Oneoida and Onondaga rivers. They claim all the country fouth of the river St. Lawrence to the Ohio, and down the Ohio to the Wabach, from the mouth of the Wabach to the bounds of Virginia; wefterly, to the Lakes Ontario and Erie, and the river Miamee; their eaftern boundaries are lake Champlain, and the British colonies. When the Englifh firft fettled in America, they could raife 15.000 fighting men; but now, including the Delawares and Shawanees, they do not amount to more than between three or four thousand, having been thus reduced by the inceffant wars they have maintained with the other Indians, and with the French, in Canada.'

Speaking of the great military exploits of the Mohawks, our Author affures us, that they have been inveterate enemies to the French, ever fince their first fettlement in Canada; that they once burned the city of Montreal; and that they are almost the only Indians within may hundred miles, that have been proof against the folicitations of the French to turn againft us; but the greatest part of them have maintained their integrity, and been our ftedfaft friends and faithful allies.As to their perfons, Mr. Rogers remarks, that there is rarely found, among the Indians, a perfon that is any way deformed, or that is deprived of any fenfe, or decrepid in any limb, notwithstanding the little care taken about the mother in the time of her pregnancy, the neglect the infant is treated with when born, and the fatigues the youth is obliged to fuffer; yet generally they are of a hale, robuft, and firm conftitution; but fpirituous li quors, of which they are infatiably fond, and the women as well as the men, have already furprizingly leffened their numbers, and will, in all probability, in one century more nearly clear the country of them.':

How greatly have thefe untutored people the advantage over us, in respect to what is obferved, in the beginning of this laft quotation! To what can it be owing that, among us, SO MANY are found deformed, or deprived of one or other of their fenfes ? To what more than the fpirit of Quackery which, for many ages paft, hath taken poffeffion of us, inftead of the fimplicity of former times? Quackery feems, indeed, to have vitiated our whole National Constitution and character: it hath infect

*

This term may be used in a religious, moral, political or œconomical, as well as in a medical fenfe.

ed

ed our government, our religion, our laws, nay our very nurferies! Every thing appears to be over-done, among us; and, (anxious mortals that we are) we act as though afraid of trufting to Providence, or leaving any thing to the unerring direction of nature. Hence, each fucceeding generation is continually bufied in undoing what was done by their predeceffors: hence the perpetual changes and revolutions of all our fyftems; and, hence, perhaps, the fatal neceffity for fo many repeals of the folemn acts and decrees even of fenatorial wifdom !-But to our Author.

Among other virtues poffeffed by the Indians, Mr. Rogers extols their furprizing patience and equanimity of mind. They have, fays he, a command of every paffion, except revenge, beyond what philofophers or Chriftians ufually attain to. You may fee them bearing the most fudden and unexpected misfortunes with calmnefs and compofure of mind, without a word, or change of countenance; even a prifoner, who knows not where his captivity may end, or whether he may not in a few hours be put to a moft cruel death, never loses a moment's fleep on this account, and eats and drinks with as much chearfulness as thofe into whose, hands he has fallen..

• Their refolution and courage under fickness and pain is truly furprifing. A young woman will be in labour a whole day without uttering one groan or cry; fhould fhe betray fuch a weakness, they would immediately fay, that fhe was unworthy to be a mother, and that her offspring could not fail of being cowards. Nothing is more common than to fee perfons, young and old of both fexes, fupporting themfelves with fuch conftancy under the greatest pains and calamities, that even when under those fhocking tortures which prifoners are frequently put to, they will not only make themselves chearful, but provoke and irritate their tormentors with most cutting reproaches."

Their method of declaring war is very folemn, and attended, fays our Author With many ceremonies of terror.' In the first place, they call an affembly of the Sachems [old men] and warriors to deliberate on the affair; in which congrefs the women have a voice, as well as the men. Take our Author's farther account in his own words.

When they are affembled, the prefident or chief Sachem proposes the affair they have met to confult upon, and, taking up the hatchet (which lies by him) fays, who among you will go and fight againft fuch a nation? Who among you will go and bring captives from thence, to replace our deceased friends, that our wrongs, may be avenged, and our name and honour maintained as long as rivers flow, grafs grows, or the fun and moon endure? He having thus faid, one of the principal warriors rifes, and harangues the whole affembly; and then

addreffes

addresses himself to the young men, and inquires, who among them will go along with him and fight their enemies? when they generally rife, one after another, and fall in behind him, while he walks round the circle or parade, till he is joined by a fufficient number. Generally at fuch a congrefs they have a deer or fome beast roafted whole; and each of them, as they consent to go to war, cuts off a piece and eats, saying, This way will I devour our enemies, naming the nation they are going to attack. All that chufe, having performed this ceremony, and thereby folemnly engaged to behave with fidelity and as a good warrior, the dance begins, and they fing the war-fong; the matter of which relates to their intended expedition and conqueft, or to their own fkill, courage and dexterity in fighting, and to the manner in which they will vanquifh and extirpate their enemies; all which is expreffed in the strongest and most pathetic manner, and with a tone of terror. So great is the eloquence or influence of their women in these confultations, that the final refult very much depends upon them. If any one of these nations, in conjunction with the chiefs, has a mind to excite one, who does not immediately depend upon them, to take part in the war, either to appease the manes of her husband, fon, or near relation, or to take prisoners, to fupply the place of fuch as have died in her family, or are in captivity, the prefents, by the hands of fome trufty young warrior, a ftring of wampum to the perfon whofe help the follicits; which invitation feldom fails of its defired effect. And when they folicit the alliance, offenfive or defenfive, of a whole nation, they fend an embaffy with a large belt of wampum, and a bloody hatchet, inviting them to come and drink the blood of their enemies. The wampum made ufe of upon thefe and other occafions, before their acquaintance with the Europeans, was nothing but fmall fhells, which they picked up by the fea-coafts and on the banks of the lakes; and now it is nothing but a kind of cylindrical beads, made of fhells white and black, which are esteemed among them as filver and gold are among us. The black they call the most valuable, and both together are their greatest riches and ornaments; thefe among them anfwering all the ends that money does among us. They have the art of ftringing, twisting, and interweaving these into their belts, collars, blankets, mogafons, &c. in ten thousand different fizes, forms and figures, fo as to be ornaments for every part of drefs, and expreffive to them of all their important tranfactions. They dye the wampum of various colours and fhades, and mix and difpofe them with great ingenuity and order, and fo as to be fignificant among themfelves of almoft any thing they please; fo that by these their records Rev. Jan. 1766.

C

are

ed our government, our religion, our laws, nay our very nurferies! Every thing appears to be over-done, among us; and, (anxious mortals that we are) we act as though afraid of trufting to Providence, or leaving any thing to the unerring direction of nature. Hence, each fucceeding generation is continually bufied in undoing what was done by their predeceffors: hence the perpetual changes and revolutions of all our fyftems; and, hence, perhaps, the fatal neceffity for fo many repeals of the folemn acts and decrees even of fenatorial wisdom !-But to our Author.

Among other virtues poffeffed by the Indians, Mr. Rogers extols their furprizing patience and equanimity of mind. They have, fays he, a command of every paffion, except revenge, beyond what philofophers or Chriftians usually attain to. You may fee them bearing the moft fudden and unexpected misfortunes with calmnefs and compofure of mind, without a word, or change of countenance; even a prifoner, who knows not where his captivity may end, or whether he may not in a few hours be put to a moft cruel death, never loses a moment's fleep on this account, and eats and drinks with as much chearfulness as thofe into whofe hands he has fallen.

Their refolution and courage under ficknefs and pain is truly furprifing. A young woman will be in labour a whole day without uttering one groan or cry; fhould fhe betray fuch a weak nefs, they would immediately fay, that fhe was unworthy to be a mother, and that her offspring could not fail of being cowards. Nothing is more common than to fee perfons, young and old of both fexes, fupporting themfelves with fuch conftancy under the greateft pains and calamities, that even when under thofe fhocking tortures which prifoners are frequently put to, they will not only make themfelves chearful, h and irritate their tormentors with moft cutting rer

Their method of declaring war is very folemn fays our Author With many ceremonies c firft place, they call an affembly of the Sac' warriors to deliberate on the affair; in w men have a voice, as well as the me farther account in his own words. When they are affembled, the

propofes the affair they have m up the hatchet (which lies b go and fight against fuch and bring captives from t that our wrongs, may be maintained as long as ri moon endure? He hav warriors rifes, and hara